


Duty

by Pennyplainknits



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-12
Updated: 2010-08-12
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pennyplainknits/pseuds/Pennyplainknits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A remix of Fealty, from Merlin's POV</p><p>
  <em>The weather was past Merlin's understanding</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duty

  
The weather was past Merlin's understanding. Even the winter in Ealdor in his twelfth year, where the cattle's breath froze in their nostrils and he had to break the ice before they suffocated, could not compare to this. It was a year without spring, without summer, and harvest was more a wake than a festival. The wheat in the market was scarce, and even the grain laid up in the castle's granaries was mouldering and sprouting. Even the rats were thin and starved-looking. The only people growing fat were the bandits and thieves that descended upon the Camelot roads like wolves on a sheepfold.

Arthur went about with a pinched face, seeming guilty that he couldn't protect his people from this, that he ate while people went hungry. Merlin and Gwen had heard the shouting even in Gauis's quarters the day Arthur had decided to ask Uther for leave to distribute the castle's dwindling stores. But Arthur had not Morgana's silver tongue, and so Uther's temper raged and people still starved. Merlin doubted even Morgana would have swayed him, were she still at court.

Uther was grown ever more angry and suspicious, seeing magic in every drop of rain and rime of frost, and when the winter fever arrived, others began to agree with him. It tore through the town and court like a dragon, burning up everyone it touched, and people began to whisper more openly of sorcery. When Gwen took sick, Merlin almost wished it was magical, then he could at least do something other than sit at her bedside as she tossed and turned, her skin as hot as coals and dry as parchment. She got better, but she was one of the few.

Not even Uther was spared. He coughed for days, skin shiny with sweat and his face flushed. Then Gaius was woken at the crack of dawn by the King's bodyservent, telling him that Uther had collapsed as he tried to get out of bed. Gaius rushed to Uther's chambers, and Merlin went to market to see if any herbs had been bought in on the roads Arthur fought so hard to keep clear. His next few days were spent tending a failing Uther, and he did not even realise Arthur was gone until it was too late. Gwen bought the news that Arthur had ridden out with those of his Knights still fit, and that he had not returned.

Merlin felt an icy grip on his heart, even though Uther's rooms were kept sweltering hot, trying to sweat the fever out.

"You could do nothing," Gwen said as she passed him a fresh cup of willow tea. "You know you could not."

Merlin raised Uther with one arm behind his back, trying to get him to drink.

"Sorcerer! Damned witchery! Stay back! Where is Arthur! I demand to see my son!" Uther cried in a terrible, cracked voice, caught in a fever vision. Merlin just gripped the cup tightly and tried to get him to drink.

"Doesn't matter," he said quietly to Gwen, "Nothing matters now."

He grieved more for Arthur's disappearance than for Uther's death when it came.

***

When Morgana returned, it took Merlin minutes to recognise her, so intent was he on getting to Arthur, on seeing if he really was alive, as Morgana promised. He could feel the magic coming off her now, but it was nothing compared to the hope growing as he saw Arthur's chest rising and falling.

They laid Arthur in Gaius's chambers, and checked him over for broken bones. Morgana had done as well as Gaius himself, and Arthur's ribs were bound and his leg splinted neatly. Arthur didn't even wake, and from the silver glimmer of magic Merlin could see Morgana had set a sleep spell on him. He settled himself at the bedside and waited.

He must have slept himself, because when he woke he had one of Gauis's blankets over him, and Gaius himself was closing the door carefully behind him.

"Merlin."

Arthur's voice was hoarse, but steady. His blue eyes were clear and bright, and his colour was good. Merlin had never known until that that relief was almost as unmanning as despair.

"Sir," he said, sitting up and throwing aside the blanket.

"Gaius told me about," Arthur stopped and swallowed "about my father." He sat up straight against the pillows, holding himself like the king he now was. He held out his hand, and raised his eyebrows until Merlin realised belatedly what he wanted. Trust Arthur to want the ceremony in a sick room.

Merlin sank to his knees and took Arthur's hand, pressed his lips to the back of it, swearing his duty, renewing his promise, now that Arthur was King. Arthur raised him up until he was standing.

"I'll need you by my side," he said. It wasn't a question.

"Always," Merlin said.

**Author's Note:**

> Uther dies (off screen) mentions of other deaths of non-canon character


End file.
